Episode 18: A voice, a choice, and an opinion with Dominnique Karetsos CEO and Co-Founder of the Healthy Pleasure Group

A voice, a choice, and an opinion with Dominnique Karetsos CEO and Co-Founder of the Healthy Pleasure Group

Kendall: Today we have a really incredible and very special guests joining us. I'm so honored to introduce our guests today. We have Dominique who is the CEO and Co-founder of the Healthy Pleasure Group.

Dominnique: My story really started, when I became  a mOm without knowing I was a mom. I was pregnant at the time and I had been offered an opportunity to come and talk on BBC radio as a co-host and as a guest. If you don't know this about me, I'm quite opinionated. I grew up with the notion that I had a voice, a choice and an opinion, but it doesn't mean that it always would go your way. I started to talk about things like menstrual periods and pleasure and racism. Then I had my baby girl and it was a really low for a lot of moms. It was a really lonely time and postnatal, depression, wasn't really a topic. I started to really question and this conversation started and I moved what some people would say from a very successful career to what I call significant. 

I started to learn the lay of the land and the most important thing is to learn that, every person is different and sex does not discriminate. Pleasure does not discriminate. I also learned that it's our most innate experience and yet we know very little about it. We don't learn the value of it. Whether it's the value of self-esteem or self love, and we don't understand how that can translate into big motors for our lives, you know, whether it's economic motors or social motors, because when you have the confidence to ask for what you want in the bedroom or in an intimate relationship, or even of your body, you have the confidence to, ask for a raise, maybe go after a career that society has told you that you don't belong in.

Fast-track that five years and today we have the Healthy Pleasure Group, which is the only global outfit dedicated to sexual health and technology and we've built that on the five pillars, five businesses. That is our agency communication agency, our demand, which is distribution our lab, which is commercial innovation. Then of course, um, a healthy pleasure school, which is all about, ensuring everybody and anybody can learn about erotic intelligence.

Some of the topics we cover are:

• How did Dominnique's career start?
• What were some of the challenges she faced as a new mom?
• How did she challenge cultural and societal norms?
• How does self love play a role in pleasure?
• Why is sexuality important for other areas in your life?
• How does someone start a conversation to give themselves consent to make sexuality for themselves a priority?
• Why it's important to speak differently to our children about sexuality?
• How she brings awareness and information to help people embrace themselves?
• How masturbation is a healthy part of our lives?
• And so much more!

Memorable Moments:

• "Every person is different and sex does not discriminate. Pleasure does not discriminate. I also learned that it's our most innate experience and yet we know very little about it. We don't learn the value of it." Dominnique
• "When you have self love and when you can appreciate your self through pleasure, you meet yourself for the first time and none of that is taught" - Dominnique
• "Pleasure is our own responsibility" - Dominnique
• "We do have to sexually raise ourselves as adults in order to change the generations and to speak differently to our children" - Dominnique

Connect with Dominnique:

• Instagram: @wearehpg
• Instagram: @schoolofhealthypleasure
• Instagram: @dominniquekaretsos  
• https://wearehpg.com 

In light, in love, and in gratitude, K

Let's Connect!

• Make sure you follow me on Instagram @soulsaturations https://www.instagram.com/soulsaturations/
• Submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episode here! 
• Please feel free to email me ([email protected]) or slide into my DMs to share what you loved, any feedback, what you want more of and any questions you may have!
• Or if you are curious about coaching with me, schedule a virtual coffee chat with me to see how I can best support you: https://calendly.com/kendallmerritt/virtual-coffee-chat